Burnley returned to form with a 1-0 home win over Watford at the weekend. Their home games are famed for the distinct lack of goals scored in them but that might change when they host Stoke City.
Every single home league game for Burnley this season has seen under 2.5 goals scored in them. Burnley fans will be happy to see their side in seventh place and a more than healthy 15 points above the bottom three. They’d probably be a lot happier if they saw a game that had a few goals in it. Not since the 2-2 draw with West Ham and just twice throughout 2017 -both in May – have they seen a home game with more than two goals in it. That might just change as they face a Stoke City tea m that can’t stop conceding goals at present.
Burnley have 28 points and only out of the top six on goal difference. They follow this game with a trip to out-of-form Brighton and Hove Albion before playing Tottenham and Manchester United, so three points here would keep the momentum going as their fans dream of European football and perhaps a few more goals in 2018. Burnley have been without Lowton and Mee in recent games but their strength in defence is still holding out with only Chelsea and Manchester City scoring two or more goals against them this season.
Stoke City are going through a defensive nightmare at present. Perhaps their boss Mark Hughes might do with having a chat with the Burnley defence to find out how to keep a clean sheet or two. They only have one clean sheet in the last 14 league games and the last six league games have seen them conceded 15 goals.
A 5-1 hammering at Tottenham on Saturday could have been a lot heavier and that’s three away league games without a win. They have only won one out of eight on their Premier League travels this season and have already conceded 20 goals. With just two wins in their last 16 league games.
Their latest heavy defeat came a week after the 2-1 home win over Swansea City. They ended the weekend in 16th place but only three points above the bottom three. With their next three games being against West Ham, West Brom and Huddersfield Town, they must start getting some wins or Mark Hughes may well find himself without a job soon.
Conclusion
Burnley have a great chance here of keeping right behind the top six in the Premier League. They returned to form with a home win over Watford and the visit of Stoke City might just see Chris Wood and Scott Arfield score a few goals to give Burnley fans even more Christmas cheer. There’s not much of that at Stoke at present and they must find a way of curing their leaky defence. Mark Hughes is getting closer and closer to the exit door and this looks booked to be a home win for Burnley.
The Key Stats
Last Five Premier League Results – Most recent first
Burnley – WLWLW
Stoke City – LWLLD
Head to Head – Last Five League Meetings
04/04/17 – Burnley 1 Stoke City 0
03/12/16 – Stoke City 2 Burnley 0
16/05/15 – Burnley 0 Stoke City 0
22/11/14 – Stoke City 1 Burnley 2
10/03/10 – Burnley 0 Stoke City 0
- 12 of the last 13 games between these two sides have had under 2.5 goals scored in them including the last six at Turf Moor.
- Burnley have only lost one of their last seven home league games against Stoke City.
- There have only been nine goals scored in eight Burnley home league games this season.
- Every single Burnley home league game this season has seen under 2.5 goals scored.
- Different players have scored the last seven Burnley goals.
- Only Sam Vokes has scored more than once in a game for Burnley this season and that was on the opening day of the season at Chelsea.
- Stoke City have the worst defensive record in the Premier League with 35 goals conceded so far this season.
- Stoke City have conceded at least two goals in seven of their last nine Premier League games.
- Both teams have scored in five of the last six Stoke City league games.
- Stoke City have scored in nine of their last ten league matches.
- The last six Stoke City league games have all had over 2.5 goals scored in them.
- Stoke City have only won two of their last 16 away Premier League games.